In one week at the beginning of fiscal year 2014 on October 1, 2013, and at the start of the calendar year on January 1, 2014, the provisions of the new health care law go into effect. Image courtesy: Charlotte Area News.
The health care law, known officially as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or more commonly as “Obamacare” has two parts: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) (Public Law 111–148), and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (Public Law 111–152 which was enacted to amend the PPACA. It was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 30, 2010.
Since that time, in the span of 42 months, the health care law has been upheld by the Supreme Court and some early provisions have already been implemented. Upon conception of the law, 2014 was marked as the year the most significant provisions of the law would go into effect.
Image: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Healthcare Marketplace website, https://www.healthcare.gov/
A week from today on October 1, 2013, open enrollment for the health insurance marketplaces begins and remains open for six months closing on March 31, 2014. Find information about these marketplaces for Individuals and Families or Small Businesses on the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Healthcare Marketplace website, https://www.healthcare.gov/. There are links to healthcare marketplace information in other languages as well:
- 中文 (Chinese) Chinese
- Kreyòl (French Creole) French Creole
- 한국어 (Korean)Korean
- Polski (Polish) Polish
- Português (Portuguese) Portuguese
- Español (Spanish)
- tiếng việt (Vietnamese)
The high profile provisions that go into effect on January 1, 2014, include:
- Coverage begins if you signed up through the health insurance marketplace
- Protection for individuals with pre-existing conditions
- Elimination of annual limits on insurance coverage
- Tax credits to help pay for costs if you sign up with a health insurance marketplace
- Expanded access to Medicaid, subject to the state you live in
- Individual mandate if you choose not to buy health insurance
Image courtesy: New York Daily News.
This is a basic overview of the law. To fully understand the details requires further reading, and GPO is here to help. GPO makes the authentic, published version of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act available to the public in print through the agency’s Online Bookstore and digitally through GPO’s Federal Digital System (FDsys). GPO also works with 1,200 libraries nationwide through the Federal Depository Library Program to have resources on the health care law available to public.
How do I obtain a copy of this Affordable Care Act (ACA)?
1) Buy a printed copy
- Shop Online: You can purchase a printed copy of the Health Care Act containing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore or by shopping our Public Health Policy & Healthcare Laws collection under our Health & Benefits category.
- Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.
- Visit our Retail Store: Buy a printed copy at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.
- Find it in a Library: Find this in a federal depository library.
2) View or download a PDF from GPO’s official Federal documents database, FDsys:
About the Author: Our guest blogger is Emma Wojtowicz, Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Office of Public Affairs. Additional content provided by Government Book Talk Editor: Michele Bartram, Promotions & eCommerce Manager for GPO’s Publication and Information Sales Division.
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Trudy Hawkins
Government Book Talk 
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